As a Christian, I believe that we have a responsibility to love people as God has loved us. He paid a price for us to love one another. Being a Christian doesn’t make me perfect, but it does give me the opportunity to demonstrate the love of God to all people.

The issues of race and injustice goes back to the beginning of time. Jesus came to earth to deliver us from the sins of racism and injustice but somehow we took it back down off the cross to carry it again.

Equality will come through the demonstration of love. There is no other way. Today our nation is struggling with the challenges of race and injustice particularly towards African American people.

African American people have suffered over the last 400 years. The brutality of slavery was not fit even for an animal. But to keep things in perspective in demonstrating love for all people let’s not forget the 6 million Jewish people who were massacred under Hitler’s regime. Let’s not forget our Native American friends who was here first and lost their land and most of their existence as a people.

There are many other ethnic groups that have suffered and paid a price as well. Let’s not forget those who went before us and paid a price for us to have what we have today for free.

Somehow the color of a person’s skin has kept us in a place of hurt, fear and distrust, yet the root of the manner is us not demonstrating love. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”. Matthew 22:39.

The challenge we have is that we haven’t done a good job loving ourselves in order to demonstrate love to someone else because of the wounded places in our lives generationally.

Love will change the heart and how we see and view people. In what is happening all across our country today with lives being lost, what a great opportunity for community, municipal and church leaders to set the tone by coming together and healing our communities and cities.

We must come to a place of trust and be willing to build relationships with all people regardless of race, religion or creed. Who I am in Christ will not stop me personally from proclaiming Jesus as Lord, but it also shouldn’t stop me from loving all people in trying to bring unity. “It’s not our fault that racism is sick, but it is our responsibility to make it well.” Let’s be courageous to have community conversations to bring healing and restoration of the heart to love all people and to see equality.

Warmest Regards,
Bob Whitt – BOC Founder and Advocate